Tooth straightening appliance



March 15, 1932. LEvlN 1 1,849,843

TOOTH STRAIGHTENING APPLIANCE File@ May le, 1951 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 PATENT oFFlcE HERMAN LEVIN, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT Toorn STRAIGHTENING APPLIANCE plantation med my 16,

This invention relates to an appliance which is designed to be used by Orthodontists for correcting irregularities and faulty positions of teeth. i V f The object of the invention is to provide a very simple appliance which while exerting the required tension on the tooth or teeth to be corrected, permits free movements of the tooth or teeth during the stresses of mastication, stimulates the surrounding tissues and promotes bone development, the construction being such`that -it may be readily adapted to varying sizes and conditions of the mouths and teeth of adults and children, and may be readily adjusted to exert'the neces'sary degree of pressure andworn with a Ilfninlmum amount of annoyance and discomort.

In attaining this object bands shaped to4 fit on anchor teeth are provided on their outer faces with Small sheaths that have triangu. lar openings which extend in line with the arch of the denture, and bands shaped to iit the teeth to be treated are provided with small cleats that have triangular shaped out. wardly facing openings. The anchor bands and a straightening band are fittedto the respective teeth and an arch wire of trianguf; lar cross section is passed around the outside of the dental arch with its acute edge laid in the triangular shaped opening of the cleat on the straightening band and its ends thrust into the triangular openings in the sheaths on the anchor bands.

The arch wire is adjusted suiciently close to the teeth to eect the required pressure on the tooth to be moved or straightened, and its ends lit the sheaths on the anchor bands suiciently tight to ensure the necessarytension.

In the accompanying drawings F ig. 1

shows an upper denture with the improved straightening appliance arranged to correct an irregularity of an incisor. Fig. 2`shows a side view. of an anchor band and sheath. Fig. 3 shows a top` view of an anchor band and sheath. Fig. 4 shows a side view of a straightening band and cleat. Fig. 5 shows a top view 0f a straightening band and cleat. Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating a means 1931. Serial No. 537,845.

that may be employed for holding an arch wire in a cleat on a straightening band.

In practicing this invention, as illustrated in the embodiment shown, bands 1 are shaped so that they may be readily fitted tol the teeth 2 which are chosen as the most suitable for anchoring the ends of the arch wire. Sheaths 3, preferably triangular in section, are secured b solder or otherwise to the outer faces o 4these bands. These sheaths 60 have openings 4 that are triangular in cross section, the openings extending through the sheaths in line with the arch of the denture and with the apexes of the triangles adjacent to the bands.

A band 5 is shaped so that it may be fitted to a tooth 6, the irregularity of which is to be corrected. On the outer face of this band is fastened, by solder or otherwise, a cleat 7 that has a triangular outward opening 8. 70 The arch wire- 9,y which is designed to exert the required pressure on the tooth to be corrected, is triangular in cross section and of a size to lie closely in the triangular opening in the, cleat on the straightening band and to lit tightly in the triangular openings in the sheaths on the anchor bands.

This triangular -wire is bent around the outside of the' denture with the apex of the triangle laid in the triangular opening in S0 the cleat on thettooth to be straightened, and the ends of the wire are thrust into the tri-f angular openings through the sheaths on the anchor teeth. The wire .is adjusted .to a position which will cause it to exert the required tension on the irregular tooth. Should it be desired to prevent the wire from springing out of the cleat a metal or ioss filament 10 may be wound over the w1re and about the projecting ends of the cleat, as 1l 90 `lustrated in Fig. 4`6. Only one straightening band is illustrated but, of course, several could be used if necessary to accomplish the desired Correction of the teeth.

The elements of this appliance are simple 9,5 and cheap to manufacture and apply. No complicated or projecting means, which are liable to cause irritation, are required :for securing the arch wire in place, While the wire is capable of exerting the necessary force 10i)` to accomplish the required tooth movement, it does not grip and rigidly hold the teethin such manner as to exclude the-natural stresses of the teeth during mastication and "thus 5 prevent stimulation of the surrounding tis'- sues. The triangular wire laid in the triangular cleat opening permits enough freedom during the processes of mastication toV enable the teeth to function in accordance with the stresses to which they are subjected and to ytransmit those mechanical impulsesY to the surrounding tissues which will ensure arterial circulation and cell activity pertinent to new bone formation, as the tooth being straightened .changes its relation to the jaw.

The invention claimed is:

1. A tooth straightening appliance comprising a pair of bands designed to be applied to anchoring teeth, said anchoring bands on vtheir outer faces having sheaths with openings therethrough, a band designed to be applied to a tooth to be straightened, said straightening band on its outer face having a cleat with a triangular shaped outeropening, and an arch wire having an angular edge adapted to engage the inclined walls of the triangular opening'in the said cleatl with its ends closely fitting the openings in said sheaths.

30. 2. A tooth straightening'applia-noe comprising a pair of bands designed to be applied to anchoring teeth, said anchoring bands on their outer faces having sheaths with triangular openings, a band designed to be applied to a tooth to be straightened,

said straightening band on its outer face having means with a triangular shaped outer opening, and an arch wire of triangular cross section with its apex inward, shaped and 40 sized to it the said openings. A

3. A tooth straightening appliance com-` prising a pair o bands designed to be applied to anchoring teeth, said anchoring bands -having on their outer faces sheaths with triangular openings, a band designed to be applied to a tooth to be straightened, saidstraightening band having on lts outer face a cleat with a triangular shaped outer opening, and an arch wire that is triangular in cross section and is of a size to Iit within the Y triangular outward Vopening in the said cleat and withinthe openings in said sheaths. -Y Y HERMAN LEVIN. 

